had been concern

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had been concern" is not correct in English.
Did you mean "had been a concern"? If this is the case, you can use it to indicate that something was a worry or issue in the past. Example: "The lack of communication had been a concern for the team during the project."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

51 human-written examples

There had been concern about his health for many years.

The Guardian - Music

There had been concern about the condition of the 550-foot-long halfpipe for weeks.

The New York Times

"There had been concern that there would be protests and pickets, but that has not happened," Ms. Wells said.

The New York Times

There had been concern among parents of autistic children that the "Theroux treatment" was the last thing an already misunderstood condition needed.

Independent

There had been concern earlier this year that the Muslim world would see the headscarf ban as an attack on Islam.

The Economist

There had been concern that the budget for the campaign, which features the voice of the actor Tim Allen, would be reduced substantially or eliminated.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

8 human-written examples

The team had been concerned about this, too.

The New Yorker

Barzani had been concerned about ISIS for some time.

The New Yorker

Her mother-in-law had been concerned, though.

The New York Times - Magazine

Arizona and Seattle had been concerned realignment would ruin rivalries.

The New York Times - Sports

There has been concern at the slow progress of development.

The Guardian - Business

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Ensure the correct grammatical structure by using "there had been a concern" or rephrasing the sentence to include a subject and verb that agree in number.

Common error

A common mistake is omitting the article "a" before "concern" when it is used as a singular countable noun. Always include the article or rephrase to use an uncountable noun like "worry".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had been concern" is an incorrect grammatical construction. It attempts to convey a state of worry or apprehension that existed in the past. Ludwig AI identifies this phrase as incorrect. To express the intended meaning accurately, the phrase requires an article (a/the) or a different verb form.

Expression frequency: Missing

Frequent in

Science

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Science

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News & Media

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Formal & Business

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Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "had been concern" is grammatically incorrect and should be avoided. Ludwig AI flags this phrase as non-standard. The correct form typically involves adding the article "a" to form "there had been a concern", or using alternative phrasing like "there had been worry". The intention behind the phrase is to convey a past state of worry or apprehension. Depending on the context, synonyms such as "apprehension" or rephrasing to focus on who was worried (e.g., "people had been worried") can provide greater clarity and grammatical accuracy. Remember to ensure proper grammatical structure to effectively communicate your intended meaning.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

there had been a concern

Adds the article "a" for grammatical correctness, indicating a specific instance of worry.

there had been worry

Replaces "concern" with "worry", which functions as a noun in a similar context.

there had been apprehension

Substitutes "concern" with a more formal synonym, "apprehension".

there had been anxiety

Replaces "concern" with "anxiety", emphasizing a stronger feeling of unease.

people had been worried

Shifts the focus to the people experiencing the concern, using "worried" as an adjective.

it had been a worry

Rephrases to use "worry" as a noun and highlights the situation as the subject.

issues had arisen

Uses a broader term, "issues", to refer to the problems that caused the concern.

difficulties had emerged

Employs "difficulties" to describe the challenges that led to the concern.

a problem had been identified

Focuses on the identification of a problem that was the source of concern.

the situation caused unease

Highlights the situation's impact, using "unease" as the emotional response.

FAQs

What is the correct way to use the phrase "had been concern"?

The grammatically correct version is "there had been a concern". You can also use "there had been worry" or rephrase the sentence to avoid the issue altogether.

What can I say instead of "there had been a concern"?

You can use alternatives like "there had been worry", "there had been apprehension", or "people had been worried" depending on the context.

Is it ever correct to say "had been concern"?

No, "had been concern" is grammatically incorrect. It requires an article or a different grammatical structure to be correct, such as "there had been a concern".

What's the difference between "had been concern" and "had been concerned"?

"Had been concern" is grammatically incorrect. "Had been concerned" is the correct form when you want to express that someone felt worry or anxiety. For example, "They "had been concerned" about the weather".